Dropping mechanism for planters.



1. A. ANDERSON. DROPPING MEGHANISM FOR PLANTERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. 1908. 1

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' Patented Feb. 9,

gawwl/foz Wit wanes 4 J. A. ANDERSON. DROPPING MECHANISM FOR PLANTERS.

' APPLICATION FILED PEB.29, 1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Jazz/11w??? JoHN ALBERT ANDERSON, oreENEs o, ILLINOIS.

DROPPING MECHANISM FOR PLANTERS'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

' Application filed. February 29, 1908. Serial No. 418,622.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN a citizen of the United States, residingatG-eneseo, in the county of Henry and State 7 of Illinois, have inventedanew and useful Dropping Mechanism for Planters, of which the followingisa specification.

Thls invention has relatlon to dropping mechanism for planters anditconsists in into the furrow.

thenovel construction and arrangement of 1ts parts as hereinafter shownand descrlbed.

The object of the invention isto provide a simple and an effectivemechanism for separating singlythe seed grains from the box or hopper.

The mechanism may be used for separating seed of different sizes withoutnecessitating the removal and substitution of parts to operate upon thedifferent sizes of seed. The shape of the seed makes, no difference inthe separation nor does the character of seed interfere with theoperation of 'the.

separatingmechanism as the said mechan- D ism is governed in itsoperation by the presence of the seed.

In the accompanying.drawings: Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view ofthe seed dropping mechanism out on the line 1, 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the seed dropping mechanism cut on the line2,2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3isan end elevation of the seed separatingmechanism; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view of a hood used in the bottom of the seed box,and Fig.6 is a longitudinal sectional view of said hood.

The seed box 1 is provided near its lower end with an annular ring 2having a depending flange 3; The lower portionof the: said fiangeisrecessed or cut away as at 1 and the said recess is located to one sideof the chute 5. The disk 6 is j ournaled for rotation within the flangeof the ring 2 and A. ANDERSON,

is mounted upon the spindle 7 which is journaled in the bracket 8transversely disposed across the bottom of the box 1. Said disk isprovided at its center with a concavity 9 at the edge of which islocated a series of lugs 10. The disk is provided in its periphery witha series of recesses or cups 11, a lug 10 being located adjacent each ofsaid recesses. The hood 12 is fixed to the flange 3 and lies over thepath described by the'recesses 11, The pivoted flap or cut off 13 (seeFig. 6) is attached to the forward end of the hood 12. and also lieswith its free end over the path of the recesses 11.

The beveled gear wheel 14 is fixed to the spindle 7 and meshes with thebeveled gear wheel 15 which is fixed to the shaft 16. The said shaft 16is j ournaled for rotation in the bottom portion of the seed box 1. Thesweep 17 is attached to the lower end of the spindle 7 and is adapted tooperate over the bottom of the seed box 1 for the purpose of forcing therejected seed into the well 18 provided in the bottom of the seed box.The sprocket wheel 19 is mounted upon the shaft 16 and is located in thelower portion of the elevator casing 20 the lower end of.

which communicates with the well 18. The small sprocket wheel 21 islocated in the upper portionof the elevator casing 20 and is inthe sameplane with the wheel 19. The endless chain 22 passes around the wheels19 and21 and said chain is provided with buckets 23 which are adapted toscoop up the rejected seed in the well 18 and elevate the same and castthem into the upper portion of the seed box 1 through the spout 23.

A seed selector 24: is located below each of the recesses 11 and movesin an orbit with the disk 6. Each selector consists of a backing plate24 having at its lower end a spindle 25. The sleeve 26 is journaled uponthe spindle 25 and is provided with the arms 27 and 28. The outer endsof the arms 27 travel upon a track or flange 29 mounted in the bottom ofthe box 1 and having at different points sections at differentelevations as hereinafter explained. The track 29 is supported at oneside upon the pivot 29' and at its opposite side by the expansion spring80 which is hinged upon the arm 28 and is under tension of the spring 31which has a tendency to force the plate 30 toward the plate 24. Theplate 32 forms an end plate for the selector and is hinged to the plate30 and is adapted to move transversely across the end of the plate 24 itbeing guided in such movement by the slot 33 provided in the upperportion of the said plate 24-. The plate 30 is provided at its upperedge with the lug 34.

The operation of the seed selector and dropper is as follows: The box 1contains the seed and the shaft 16 is rotated by any suitable means.Through the instrumentalityof the beveled pinions 15 and 4 rotarymovement is transmitted to the disk 16. As the disk 6 having therecesses 11 rotate within the flange 3 they each receive several seedand as one of the said recesses passes under the hood 12 the seedlocated in the said recess are separated from the seed in the box 1 andthe said hood keeps the weight of the seed in the box 1 oil of the seedin the recess 11 under the hood. When the sa d recess passes under thehood the flap 13 packs the seed in the recess and also plows ott orremoves superfluous seed. When the seed selector is under the hood 12'the arm 27 of the said selector enters the depression 35 in the track 29and the hinged plate 30 swings a slight distance away from the backingplate 2 linto the position indicated by A in Fig. 1. Thus the seed inthe recess 11 may fall through the recess 4L in the flange 3 and lodgebetween the plates of the seed selector. When the seed selector arrivesat the position indicated by B in Fig. 1 the arm 27 enters the deeperdepression 86 in the path 29 and the plate 30 swings further away fromthe plate 24 so that the seed may lodge between the lower portions ofthe said plate. lVhen the selector moves into the position indicated byC in Fig. 1 the arm 27 rides upon the track 29 at its normal elevationand the plate is forced toward the plate 2%. At thlS polnt and at thistime a single seed becomes wedged between the plates at and 30 and theplate 30 is held away from the plate 24 by the said wedged seed to suchan extent as to permit the other seed to fall from be tween the saidplates upon the bottom of the box 1. The selectedseed, however, ill beretained between the plates and carried around to the position indicatedby D in Fig, 1 when the lugs 34- of the plate 30 will engage the bulge87 and the plate 30 will be swung away from the plate 24 sothat theselected seed is dropped n the chute 5. The seed which have beenrejected and deposited upon the bottom of the hopper 1 are carriedaround by the sweep 17 and deposited in the well 18 from which pointthey are taken up by the buckets 23 and returned to the upper portion ofthe box 1 as before described.

Thus it will be seen that the prime object of the invention is toprovide a separator which may be used without alterationindiscriminately for separating seed oil di'llerent sizes as it. willoperate in the same manner without requiring adjustment of seed as largeas maize or indian corn or pop corn or even seed of greater d'illerenccin diamctrical dimensions.

Having described my invention, what I laim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device it the cluu'acter indicated a seed separator C(I'HPI'lSlHfQQ a tracking plate, an arm pivoted thereon, means for swingingsaid arm, a plate hinged upon the arm and bearing against the back oithe plate and a plate transversely disposed with relation to he backingplate and hinged plate and being hingcdljv connected \vith one ct saidplates and slidably engaging the othpr plate.

2. In a device of the character indicated, a seed separator comprising abacking plate, an arm pivoted thereon. a plate hinged upon aid arm andbeing held in engagement with the backing plate under spring tension. anend plate transversely di posed with relation "0 the first said plateand be ng hingcdly connected to one and slidably engaging the other.

3. In a device of the character indicated, an orbitally moving seedscparaor adapted 0 receive a collection of seed and scparat" a. singleseed there '0111 and reject the balance, an arm for operating theseparator, a path upon which said arm travels, said path having sectionsat dillcrcnt elevations t'or moving said arn'i to operate the s parator.

4:. In a device of the character indicated. a. seed separator comprisinga backing plate,

collar pivotally mounted thereon, diverent arms carried by the collar, afixed path ver which one of said arms travels, a side plate hingedlyattached to the other arm and an end plate transversely dispo-rd withrelation to the backing and side plates and being hit 'edly connectedwith one and slid ably eng ing the other.

In a device of the character indicated, a seed separator comprising abacking plate, a side plate mounted for movement so that the anglebetween its plane and the plane of the backing plate may be increased ordiminished.

In a device of the character indicated, a seed separator comprising abacking plate, a side plate mounted adjacent the backing plate andhaving two separate swinging movements with relation to the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as in I own I h vc heretoaliixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

501- N ALBE tl ANDELCON. Witnesses M. H. VINonNT, C. L. NELSON.

